Moistening device



F. CHESLEY MOISIENING DEVICE April 24, 1928., 1,667,067

Filed Aug. 29, 1927 Patented Apr. 24, 1928.

., UNITED. STATES FRANK CHESLEY, on mommies, KE T KY.

MOISTENING DEVICE.

Application filed August 29, .1927. Sciarm 216,067.

Thisinvention relates to moistening devices for dampenin adhesive coated surfaces, wetting the. ngertips, etc.

- An object of theinvention is to provide a moistening device adapted to be mounted on the .finger afiording a natural means for application of moisture to the. adhesive coated surfaces of stamps, envelopes, etc., or for wetting any surface, being the equivalent of a continually moistened finger, with the moistened point conveniently disposed for engagement thereagainst of the surfaces to be moistened.

Another object is to this nature readily attac 'ed to the finger, in which'a well orreservoir making up the body of the device is shaped to fit the inner eontourof the fingers against which it is disposed when in use.

for maintaining awick in the device in adjusted position. Still another object is the. provision of means for sealing the opening in the reservoirthrough which the wick is extended.

. Further objects and advantages will be more fully set forth in the description of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the moistening device.

Figure 2 is an end elevation thereof showing the exposed end or moisture application pointof the wick disposed against the outer surface of the ring portion of the device.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33, Figure 2, illustrating the interior of the well and showing the mounting of the clip for sealing the wick opening and maintaining the wick in set position.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44l, Figure 1, further detailing the structure.

Figure 5 is a perspective View of the device showing it in position for use on the index finger.

Referring to the drawings, the well or body of the device is indicated at 1. The well includes the sides 22 and the ends 3, 4, the end wall 3 bein rounded to meet the opposite lower end 0 the end wall 4 and form the base 5 for the well. The, top of the structure has a ring 6 formed integral therewith, having its axis disposed crossrovide a device of Still another ob]ect-1s provide means wise to the body. The ring ortion is'ofthe. same length as the width 0 the well so as to bring the sides 2-2 flush with-the ring ends. This ring 6 as indicated in Figure 5 isthe means for mounting the device upon the finger. The ends. 3, 4, of thebody or well are disposed substantially tangent to the-ring 6 at their upper ends, theend. wall 4 joining thereto and'the end wall 3 termi nating a sufficient distance away from the ring to form the opening 7, permitting the insertion of a wick 8 into the well. i Thisdisposition ofv the rin portion sets it within theoutline of the bodyand the topof the device is rounded gracefully' The wick 8 is of such lengthas to extend from the bottom of the wellfor saturation therein, through the opening 7 ,;withits outer or exposed end disposed on the outer surface of the ring 6. The wick cross. section corresponds to the outline of the opening 7 so as to substantially seal the opening when the wick isinserted therein.

To additionally seal the wick opening and to hold the wick against displacement,-. a clip 9'is slidably mounted in theend wall 3. The clip 9 is adapted to slidesmoothly in a channel 10 formed. substantially throughout. the length of the end wall'3. This channel 10 is open at both ends so as toallow the uninterrupted passage therethrough of the clip 9.

Due to the curvature of 'theend wall 3 in relation to the wick, the upper rounded end of the clip engagesthe wick outer side at an angle and compresses the wick against theouter ring surface just above the wick opening. The curvature of the end wall 3 also causes the clip to be frictionally'held in the channel against accidental movement.

, This upper clip end engagement not only provide a gripping point, enabling the user to slide the clip. The, outer side 13 of the channel wall 3 ends short of the juncture of the end walls 3, 4, terminating the groove, and leaving a short space for the rolled clip end to slide in, so that in the wick engaging position of the clip the rolled end 12 does notextend beyond the outline of the body.

As shown in Figure 5, the device is mounted on the-index finger of the hand, the ring portion being slid on the finger.

The end wall 4 of the body is disposed against the inner surface of the remaining fingers, being contoured to fit snugly against the same. This mounting of the device brings the exposed portion of thewick adjacent the thumb and in a convenient location for manipulation of the surface of articles to be moistened against the saturated wick end. The ring portion fitting snugly over the finger and the Wick lying upon the same afford a natural moistening point.

The flaps of envelopes or tape, or strips of stamps may be drawn, across the Wick end and pressed thereagainst by means of the thumb. The device, of course, is adapted to be hung on any finger, and in cases where it is desired to merely moisten the tips of the finger of the right hand during the turning of pages or the counting of money, the de vice may be hung on the small finger where it may be least in the way.

A semi-circular notch 1-i is cut in the upper edges of the end Wall 3 adjacent the opening to increase the size of the opening at this point for greater ease in filling the Well. In order to fill the well, the clip 9 is drawn away from the wick and clear of the notch 14 and the point of a syringe or drop per is inserted between the notched portion 1 and the wick into the interior of the Well whereupon water is forced into the well.

I Having described my invention, I claim: 1. A moistening device adapted to be attached to a finger, comprising, a ring, a body portion integral therewith, said body forming a well, and a wick extending from the well, said wick having its outer end overlying the outer face of the ring.

2. A device of the class described, comprising, a body forming a Well, a wick extending therefrom, a ring formed in the upper end of thebody, the extending end of the wickdisposed on the peripheral surface of the ring providing the moisture application point, and means for securing the wick in set position. v

3. A device of the class described, comprising, a body forming a well, a ring formed in the upper end of the body, said body having an aperture therein adjacent the peripheral surface of the ring, a wick extending through the aperture and having its outer end lying on the'ring peripheral surface, and a clip slidably mounted in the apertured body wall for pressing the wick against the ring adjacent the aperture, thereby sealing said aperture. I

4. A device of the class described, comprising a body forming a well, a ring formed in said body, a Wick extending from said well and having its outer end overlying the outer face of the ring, said ringadapted to be inserted over a finger for mounting the well, one side of said well contoured to fit the inner line of the fingers, against which it is disposed when in use andthe wick extension disposed adjacent to the thumb for engagement thereby.

5. A. device of the class described, com-. prising, a body forming a well, a wick ex tending therefrom, means for mounting said well on a finger, one end of said body rounded and said wick outer end-disposed on said rounded end of the body.

6. A device of the class described, comprising, a. body forming a well, a flat wick extending therefrom, said Wick of the same width as the internal width of the well, said well having a tubular opening extending across an end thereof for mounting the well on the finger, the outer end of said wickexs tending from the well exteriorof and adjacent the tubular opening and lying across a port-ion of an outer circular .end of'the well formed by the tubular opening,

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name.

FRANK CHESLEY. 

